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Elizabeth E Pruett in Oklahoma

Elizabeth E Pruett lives in Oklahoma with her husband Zachary and their two children, Anna and John. She enjoys genealogy, quilting, music, reading, and writing. Her life goal is to live out 1 Corinthians 10:31. …Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

"I am a child of God, and it is my purpose to glorify Him in everything I do. My life is dedicated to obeying Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and encouraging others to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.' I will serve the Kingdom of God by proclaiming His righteousness, truth, and everlasting love to my family, friends, and community."

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Sunday, April 02, 2006

Comfort Defying Kindness

God has called us all to kindness. It is a sign that His Spirit is working in us, and every type of personality should demonstrate it in their lives. It is true that some people seem to be more naturally kind than others. They are personable, outgoing, and eager to talk with you or help in any way possible. But others, including myself, struggle with the appearance of kindness. Even when I have kind thoughts, it can be difficult for me to demonstrate it. My timidity can cause me to stand back until the opportunity has past, but when has kindness been measured by our thoughts or intentions? Outside of ourselves, only God knows what we intend, and others can interpret us only by our words and actions.

We are to be shining lights demonstrating the love of God. It is imperative that we make the extra effort to show the fruit of our faith in Christ. When we feel His Spirit directing us to introduce ourselves and talk or offer to do a task that will bring us out of our comfort zone we must be very careful to give full obedience. This is something I am still working on.

At home kindness should be easier. After all, kindness comes from love, and who do we love more than our family? Each place and circumstance has its own temptations however, and it is in the comforts of home that laziness must be fought.

There would seem to be less opportunity to be in unfamiliar and uncomfortable circumstances at home, but even here there are plenty of tasks that bend the boundaries of our comfort. Parents have many responsibilities, and they may not be able to do everything. Children are the arrows that God gave parents to help in furthering their goals and work. For me this has meant calling strangers on business related contacts or doing things that chafe at my withdrawn personality. All this helps to make me more flexible, personable, and kind.

Kindness can be a way of life! This often means doing things we would not have chosen for ourselves, and it always means doing what God has chosen for us. We should be looking for more ways to be like Jesus Christ. He made himself available to the people and healed, comforted, and talked with them. He showed himself to be friendly and kind in most instances. We are witnesses of Jesus to the world, and should demonstrate His kindness.